Category: Games

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Razer Is Holding Beta Tests for its RGB Face Mask, Zephyr

Razer’s Project Hazel RGB face mask is officially called Zephyr, and the company is now accepting community sign-ups that will give those interested a chance to test it out before its release.

Razer shared the news on Twitter, confirming that the Razer Zephyr is the latest evolution of its wearable air purifier.

Zephyr is designed to be “safe, social and sustainable,” and it also “sports 99% BFE, a secure silicon face seal and anti-fog coating.” For those interested in signing up, all you have to do is go to the Community Beta Test page and enter your name, country, e-mail, social media, and a brief explainer of why you’d like to be part of the test.

Razer first unveiled this RGB face mask concept at CES 2021 in January, and it confirmed that it was becoming a real product in March 2021. Razer Zephyr is still slated to release this year, but Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan warned that there would be limited quantities of the mask “from the getgo.”

Fortunately, Razer is planning on implementing a “sales by drops” strategy, meaning it will have a database of those interested in purchasing one and will let them know when units become available once again.

The Razer Zephyr is a “surgical N95 respirator” and has a high fluid resistance to protect against large droplets and splashes. It also features a clear and transparent design that will let others see you speak and pick up on facial cues easier. Its Voiceamp technology will also ensure your speech isn’t muffled via its built-in mic and amplifier combo.

It also supports replaceable filters, has rechargeable ventilators, comes with a wireless charging case with UV sterilizer, is meant for daily use, and can take advantage of 16.8 million colors and a suite of effects thanks to Razer Chroma RGB.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Ascent Patch Addresses Co-Op Bugs And Adds Ray Tracing

Neon Giant has detailed its newest patch for The Ascent, revealing that it not only addresses co-op issues, but also that it adds ray tracing to the Windows Store version of the game, meaning it will soon work for those with Xbox Game Pass for PC.

As stated by the latest patch notes, this update is available for the Steam version of The Ascent and will be released for Xbox and Windows 10 players shortly.

This ray tracing fix is a big one, as players quickly discovered that while The Ascent on Steam featured NVIDIA’s DLSS and ray tracing, the Xbox Game Pass for PC version did not. While there is no word yet on DLSS support, this is a welcome addition for Game Pass players.

It’s also important to reiterate that ray tracing and DLSS is only supported on the PC version of The Ascent, meaning Xbox Series X/S players are still without it.

The fixes to co-op include solving an issue where Player 1 and Player 2 have controller focus issues on certain menus, fixing some weapon replication issues in online co-op, fixing issues where the host leaving the game could cause the client to lose progress, and more.

The patch also includes a ton of stability fixes, save progress fixes, translation fixes, and much more.

In our The Ascent review, we said, “story isn’t its strong suit, but the rest of The Ascent delivers a wonderfully realized cyberpunk world mixed with satisfying twin-stick gunplay to create an enjoyable action-RPG.”

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

10 Games That Deserve A Remake Or Remaster

1. King's Field

1. King’s Field

From Software burst into mainstream gaming prominence thanks to Hidetaka Miyazaki and the Souls series. Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice were all instant classics, and some of the best games of the modern gaming generation.

But even before Miyazaki and Souls gained prominence, From Software had been around for a long time; its first game was a launch title for the Playstation 1. Since then, it has created a few properties that stood out, such as Armored Core and Shadow Tower. But what I think truly deserves the remake/remaster treatment is the King’s Field series.

When the first King’s Field was released in the US, many American critics dunked on it for being too slow and plodding, and not as fast-paced as Doom. Because back then, if it was a first-person game, it had to be compared to Doom. But the thing is, at their core, these games were absolutely fantastic. Leveling up and enemies were incredibly well-balanced, and exploration was always rewarding. The games did a fantastic job of managing risk and reward during exploration, with a plethora of weapons, armor, and equipment that your character could find, which genuinely helped in your progression without feeling utterly broken.

The games had an interesting and creepy vibe to their labyrinths, and with a healthy dose of imagination, many of these areas were truly haunting and spooky. But those blocky PlayStation-era graphics definitely don’t hold up today, especially in the first few games of the series. While there was a far better-looking PS2 sequel in King’s Field: The Ancient City, even that could use a nice boost.

With a graphical overhaul and a reworking of some of the dungeon design of the earlier games, I truly think a King’s Field Remastered Collection would be an absolute gem–and there are enough From Software fans today that it would find a big audience.

Fortnite Ariana Grande Rift Tour: Watch It Here

The Fortnite Rift Tour starring Ariana Grande has made its debut, and while it’ll be replaying at select times all weekend, you can catch the whole show right here. Grande’s performance was the headliner, but the complete in-game event took players on a spacetime-hopping journey through Fortnite’s illustrious history.

As players danced and emoted atop the party-themed Abductor hovering over The Aftermath, the countdown timer ticked away to zero and revealed a large Rift door at the center of the Abductor. Jumping into it took players on an expedition that showcased past Fortnite performances, like Marshmello, while also revisiting past story-heavy scenes like Kevin The Cube and The Devourer. There was even an aerial combat mini-game that kept score.

After the whole lobby defeated the last Big Bad and landed in a black void, they helped each other to their feet in a cinematic sequence that was meant to tug at the heartstrings and lay down the red carpet for the show’s main act. Down came a shooting star with some of the best high notes in both worlds–ours and the looping Fortnite realm alike. Ariana Grande hit the virtual stage and opened with Seven Rings as players floated around her massive avatar.

She went on to play segments of her other hits, including Positions, Be Alright, and The Way featuring her ex-partner, the late Mac Miller. With each song transition, Grande smashed her diamond-encrusted pickaxe and blasted the audience into different realms. One scene featured pink, fluffy trees like something out of a Seuss story. Another had players racing up Escher-like staircases as they moved and twisted unpredictably. It seems Epic Games set out to up the ante after 2020’s Travis Scott show, and though it’s a matter of taste, we’d say they nailed it.

You can catch the full Rift Tour video above or check the in-game tab for this weekend’s remaining showtimes. Make sure to set off into the Rift Tour playlist using your favorite character skin, as they’ll be integrated directly into the show in some fun ways we won’t spoil here. After the show, Epic Games chief creative officer Donald Mustard was elated and promised things like the Rift Tour are only the beginning.

While the Rift Tour has premiered, more Rift Tour Quests are on their way following the weekend of shows. Get in now to clean up the quests already available, then come back and finish off the list for more Ariana Grande- and Rift Tour-themed cosmetics.

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Embattled Activision Blizzard Executive Steps Down as Women’s Network Sponsor

Activision Blizzard’s president for corporate affairs Frances Townsend has stepped down as an executive sponsor of the ABK Women’s Network as of two weeks ago. The embattled corporate executive has been criticized by employees within the company for several missteps following the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard was first publicized.

Townsend is no longer the executive sponsor of the ABK Women’s Network, a group for women employees at Activision Blizzard King. However, Townsend is still employed by Activision Blizzard.

In a statement acquired by The Washington Post’s Shannon Liao, Townsend “believes in doing what’s right for the Network, and will continue to support and advance the work of the Network as best she can.”

The news is just the latest surrounding Townsend as the firestorm around Activision Blizzard in the wake of the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing’s lawsuit for gender discrimination continues.

Townsend was previously criticized for issuing a statement shortly after news of the lawsuit broke calling the allegations “distorted” and “false.” Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sent a follow-up letter to employees calling this initial response “tone-deaf.”

According to The Washington Post, Townsend told employees over Zoom that her statement was following “legal counsel’s guidance on language, and that the end result no longer sounded much like her voice[.]”

Despite claiming the statement was not her voice, Townsend was criticized again for tweeting a link to an article titled, “The Problem With Whistleblowing,” on her personal social media account. The article which calls out whistleblowers was seen as inappropriate given many current and former Blizzard employees were sharing stories of their abuse online or to the press.

After being criticized for her tweet, Townsend seemingly began blocking Blizzard employees and journalists (myself, included) before deactivating her Twitter account altogether. A statement from Activision Blizzard to Kotaku said, “The company didn’t ask her to delete it. It was her decision.”

A coalition of Activision Blizzard employees has sent CEO Bobby Kotick and the company’s leadership team a letter that has criticized them for not responding to workers’ specific demands to built a healthier work environment. And while Activision Blizzard announced it hired firm WilmerHale to perform a neutral audit of company policies, the worker’s group has rejected the firm because of the friendly relationship between WilmerHale and the company’s executive leadership.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor.

Getty photo credit. Riccardo Savi / Stringer

Daily Deals: Save Big on the Two Best Gaming Monitors of 2021 (LG C1 4K OLED TV and Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49″ Mini LED)

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming monitor and you’re feeling generous with your budget, the two absolute best gaming monitors (in our opinion) can both be had at a discount. The LG C1 48″ OLED TV is at its lowest price point ever. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49″ monitor isn’t even out yet, but if you preorder it you can get a $300 JBL gaming headset for free. Today you can also save on the 2nd generation Apple AirPods, a LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon set, a powerful HP OMEN RTX 3060 Ti gaming PC, and more below.

Best 4K Gaming Monitor: 2021 LG C1 48″ OLED TV

This is the lowest price ever for the 48″ version of the LG C1 OLED TV. The 2021 LG C1 OLED improves upon last year’s highly-rated CX model with upgraded A9 Gen 4 processor that delivers slightly better image quality, better 4K scaling, and improved audio handling as well as a new webOS smart TV redesign. I personally use the older LG CX OLED TV as my main gaming monitor, and after nearly a year of heavy usage, I still firmly believe that this is the best gaming monitor you can buy right now. The C1 OLED TV has HDMI 2.1 inputs, so you can output 4K at 120Hz when you pair it with an RTX 30 series video card. It also supports 4:4:4 chroma at 4K and G-SYNC technology. The OLED panel blows away any IPS, VA, or TN monitor in black levels, color rendition, sub-1ms response times, and HDR quality.

Best Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49″ 5120×1440 Mini LED Monitor

Preorder the Samsung Neo G9 gaming monitor (out on August 23), and get the JBL Quantum One Gaming Headset for free. That’s a $300 headset. This is the first Mini LED gaming monitor we’ve seen and easily the best monitor in Samsung’s “Odyssey” series. Mini LED technology is pretty new. You’ll see them in the highest end Samsung and TCL TVs as well as the newest Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ XDR display. The cost keeps 99% of us gamers at bay, but for those who can afford it, you currently won’t find a better ultra-wide monitor.

Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case

These are the 2nd generation Apple Airpods upgraded with the wireless charging case that you normally get with the higher end AirPods Pro. The wireless charging case allows you to charge the case via a wireless induction charger OR an Apple Lightning cable (the wired charging case can only be charged via cable). This version of the AirPods has rarely dropped in price this year, not even on Prime Day.

The Best PS5 SSD Upgrade: WD Black SN850 M.2 SSD with Heatsink in Stock at Western Digital Direct

This is currently the most popular (and probably the best) SSD to get for your PS5 storage upgrade. The 1TB model has been out of stock everywhere since its release. It goes in and out of stock constantly at Western Digital direct as well, but it’s the best place to score one right now. This is a blazing fast drive with transfer speeds rated at up to 7,000 MB/s and a PCIe Gen4 interface and it comes preinstalled with a heatsink. It’s also confirmed by Western Digital themselves to be compatible with the PlayStation 5 console.

Available: Nintendo Joy-Cons Skyward Sword Edition

After a long haitus, these special edition Skyward Sword themed Joy-Cons are available for order again on Amazon. They Joy-Cons are made over in a royal blue color with white accents. The right Joy-Con controller is themed after the Master Sword and the left controller features a Hylian Shield motif. Get it now before it goes out of stock again.

LEGO Star Wars Rise of Skywalker Millennium Falcon

This Millennium Falcon stands at an impressive 17″ long and 12″ wide. With over 1,300 bricks, at this price you’re paying less than 10 cents per brick. The set also includes 7 LEGO Star Wars mini-figures: Finn, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO, Boolio, D-O, and BB-8.

HP OMEN AMD Ryzen 7 RTX 3060 Ti Gaming PC

This popular gaming desktop is back in stock at Best Buy. HP OMEN desktops have good build quality, especially for the price. HP OMEN PCs are all built with consistency with the same (and often proprietary) components, unlike many other brands where each PC is piece-mealed together with off-the-shelf components that are current on hand. Don’t confuse the RTX 3060 Ti with the RTX 3060… it’s about 35% faster than the RTX 3060 and only about 5%-10% slower than the RTX 3070. Compared to the previous generation of graphics cards, it even beats out the RTX 2080 SUPER.

Razer Hammerhead Truly Wireless Earbuds

The Razer Hammerhead truly wireless earbuds is over 50% off today at Amazon. These gaming-centric earbuds feature 13mm drivers with ample amounts of bass, low latency, IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance, up to 15 hours of battery life.

Sign up for AT&T Gigabit Fiber Internet and Watch Suicide Squad 2 on HBO Max for Free

Sign up for the gigabit plan and you get $20 off your first year and a bonus $150 rewards card. That means you pay $60/mo instead of $80/mo. You’ll get access to blazing fast gigabit speeds (both downstream and upstream) with no data cap. As a bonus, you’ll also get a free 1 year subscription to HBO Max. That means you’ll be able to watch recent movie releases like Space Jam: Legacy and Suicide Squad 2 movies. I personally am subscribed to AT&T Fiber and would never dream of going back to my slower and more expensive cable internet.

Preorder New Star Wars Tamagotchi on Amazon

Now you can take R2-D2 wherever you go as a cute little tamagotchi. Take care of your little droid by keeping him charged, cleaning him, and teaching him up to 19 different skills with a variety of mini-games. Of course there are dire consequences if you neglect your job in keeping R2-D2 happy.

The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Hardcover Edition

This LotR Illustrated Hardcover Edition hasn’t been released it (it’s out October 19), but you can already preorder it and save 20% off the retail price. This is the first discount we’ve seen. This massive 1,200+ page tome includes illustrations from author JRR Tolkien, for the first time in any edition of the series since 1954.

More Daily Deals for August 6

Modern Warfare 3 Remastered Is Not Happening, Activision Says

Activision has denied that a remaster of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is in the works. The publisher said unequivocally in a statement that reports about a remaster of the 2011 game are false.

“A remaster of Modern Warfare 3, campaign or multiplayer, does not exist. Any reports otherwise are incorrect,” a spokesperson for Activision told GameSpot.

CharlieIntel was first to report on Activision’s statement in response to the rumors, which have been ongoing for months.

Activision released a remaster of Modern Warfare 2‘s campaign in 2020–one of two CoD remasters it’s ever made–and rumors suggested Activision might look to do the same with Modern Warfare 3. The other remaster was for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare–this was initially offered only through the premium editions of Infinite Warfare in 2016 before being sold on its own. Unlike Modern Warfare 2 Remastered, Modern Warfare Remastered included campaign and multiplayer.

Modern Warfare 3 was developed by Infinity Ward and released on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, with Treyarch handling the Wii edition. A Nintendo DS version from n-Space was also released.

Call of Duty is now bigger than it ever has been. Activision supports the series on three main pillars: Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Mobile, and the annual premium releases. The franchise is expanding even more, as Activision just announced the formation of a new studio to make a second Call of Duty mobile game. As for the mainline series, this year’s game is coming from Sledgehammer Games and is believed to be set in World War II.

As all of this is happening, Activision Blizzard is being sued by the state of California for its “frat boy” culture and discrimination and harassment of women. For more on the case, you can see a timeline of all the key events.

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Pokemon Sword And Shield Shiny Vanilluxe Event Now Live

A new Max Raid event is underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Until August 8, a handful of summer-themed Pokemon will be appearing more frequently in Max Raid dens across both games, including Shiny Vanilluxe.

Throughout the event, you’ll be more likely to encounter Fan Rotom, Seaking, Heracross, Pinsir, and Ninjask in Max Raids across the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra. Vanilluxe will also be appearing more frequently, and you’ll have a chance to encounter a Shiny version in five-star Max Raids.

Some of the featured Pokemon in Sword and Shield's latest event
Some of the featured Pokemon in Sword and Shield’s latest event

The Max Raid event runs until 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET / 11:59 PM UTC on Sunday, August 8, giving you only a few days to participate.

Before the event Pokemon can begin appearing in the game, you first need to refresh your Max Raid dens. You can do this either by connecting online via the Y-Comm, or by opening Mystery Gift from the menu screen and selecting Get the Wild Area News.

In other Pokemon news, New Pokemon Snap received its first free update earlier this week. The update introduced three new areas to the game and 20 additional Pokemon to photograph. Pokemon Unite also received a few updates recently, adding a new playable Pokemon, Gardevoir, and making assorted balance changes.

More Pokemon games are on the way to Nintendo Switch over the next few months. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release for the system on November 19, while Pokemon Legends: Arceus launches on January 28. You can learn more in our Pokemon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl preorder guide and Pokemon Legends: Arceus preorder guide.

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